The terrain across which fencing may be desired is often inclined, yet users typically prefer that the fence pickets be oriented vertical to the horizon, for aesthetic reasons, regardless of the slope of the terrain.
Accounting for such topography may require time-consuming custom fence fabrication on-site. It is more desirable in many applications, though, for fencing to be pre-assembled off-site, as pre-assembly simplifies installation and reduces costs as a result of economies of scale.
One technique for using pre-assembled fencing on inclined terrain is to “stair-step” pre-assembled fencing panels, such that the pickets remain vertical but the rails remain horizontal—the height of adjacent panels are adjusted relative to each other to match the terrain even though the respective rails of the adjacent panels may not thereafter match. The practice is less-than-optimal, however, as gaps are left between the bottom of each fencing panel and the inclined terrain beneath it.
Most preferably, rackable pre-assembled fencing would be adjustable to match a range of inclines, as a range of inclines can be encountered even upon a single fencing installation at a particular site and certainly between several fencing sites.
Modularity of pre-assembled fencing panels is also desirable. Inasmuch as plans may be altered during installation of fencing, or additional fencing may be discovered to be desirable after insulation of an initial run, or later replacement may be desired of a section of fencing damaged after installation, modularity of design would allow for easy and aesthetically matching and consistent final results.
Optimally, fencing should be of simplified manufacture with a minimum of components and with easily-manufactured components.
The fencing products previously known do not ideally address the foregoing concerns.